Page 143 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 9 February 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
has on working people and their families. At the start of this term, we committed to maintaining the size of the public service, keeping essential services in government hands and ensuring that public money is used to promote safe and fair jobs.
Our commitment to promoting secure jobs extends across the community. We introduced and are currently strengthening the Secure Local Jobs Code. It is a matter of principle that any business seeking public contracts should meet the highest ethical and employment standards. The Secure Local Jobs Code ensures that the purchasing power of government promotes fair, safe and secure employment in the private sector.
In the public sector, our commitment to secure employment and high-quality services for Canberrans is equally strong. The government is working to meet this commitment by building on our existing commitments to secure employment that are enshrined in our enterprise agreements. These new developments are captured in two distinct pieces of work that, together, make the secure employment package.
The first piece of work is the continuation of the secure workforce conversion process. This is a joint union and government process to examine the use of insecure work in the ACT public service, with an updated process to incorporate the new requirements of the commonwealth Fair Work Act, where casual employees can request conversion to permanent employment in certain circumstances.
The second piece of work is currently being designed—the implementation of an insourcing framework which will evaluate the insourcing and outsourcing of government work. The insourcing framework will evaluate whether services or works required by a public sector entity should be provided by the public sector or by an external provider. The government’s commitment to insourcing demonstrates the value we place on our public service and on secure employment. The insourcing framework is being developed to have a sophisticated approach to analysing proposed government outsourcing of services or works. It will not simply be a matter of deciding on the lowest cost option. Instead, under this new framework, a decision about insourcing will consider how the whole community can be better supported by the public service.
The government is incorporating the wellbeing indicators into the insourcing framework. This will see us well placed to embrace new directions on work design, work-life balance, for example, and strategies that harness potential and broaden our perspectives on how the ACT public service works. Secure work makes it easier for people to get bank loans and to buy a home. It means they can take leave when they are sick or need to look after their loved ones, without putting their job at risk. It means they can have the confidence to spend money to support the ACT economy, boost growth and create even more jobs. (Extension of time granted.)
We have learned many things during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the risks to both workers and the economy that insecure work brings. We also better understand that women, young people and people from a migrant background are more likely to find themselves in insecure work. We are committed to providing certainty in uncertain times wherever we can.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video